A decision by the Environmental Protection Authority to decline a marine consent application by Chatham Rock Phosphate is a seriously negative signal for New Zealand business, managing director Chris Castle said.

“It will make it even harder, if not impossible for companies to attract capital for new projects in New Zealand. As the second application of its kind there have been some improvements in the process and were able to learn a lot and apply those lessons. If we can’t succeed having invested $33 million over seven years, then obviously the government is not serious about economic development.”

“We had a strong level of agreement by scientific and other experts from both sides that the environmental effects were either limited or manageable.”

“Obviously we need to take a bit of time to digest what the decision means and what our next steps will be, the options being an appeal, resubmitting, or walking away.”

“To say we are bitterly disappointed is an understatement. We are aghast. The entire government process, and the EPA in particular, seems afraid to say yes to any project that involves any kind of environmental impact and that is simply not good enough if we are to provide a future for our country’s young people.”